Eating Adventures in the Historic Triangle

If there is anything I like better than travel, it is food and so finding great places to eat while on the road is just about as happy as I get. This recent trip to Virginia's Tidewater and Historic Triangle area had plenty to excite me in the way of great food. However there were also a few bumps in the culinary road as well, but not enough to detract from all the delicious meals and exceptional service in this part of Virginia. From Peanut Soup to Death By Chocolate I did my best to eat all the local favorites and colonial inspired foods as I could.

Breakfast

I am not a breakfast person, not because of the food, but because of the time of day. Back home a cup or two of hot tea is usually all I have - not so when I'm traveling. Maybe it has to do with the spirit of adventure, maybe it's my wife's love of breakfast food but when traveling I usually end up eating in the morning. One thing to keep in mind is to avoid the continental breakfast served in your hotel and get something real to eat at one of the countless breakfast places and pancake houses along Richmond Road/Route 60.

What can be said about Cracker Barrel that has not been said? Love them or hate them this chain is everywhere and usually packed. Back home Cracker Barrels are not spaced every half mile so we decided to have breakfast there a couple of times. No complaints about the food or the price and since it was mid-November, we did not even have to wait. That being said, I was not here to eat at chain restaurants, I was here to get a taste of Virginia and our next stop hit the spot.

The Old Chickahominy House is located along Jamestown Road and was just what I was looking for. This cozy little house has been serving for fifty years and is virtually an act of pilgrimage if you are heading to the Jamestown sights. Country-style breakfasts of eggs with cheese, grits, salty Virginia ham and unique flat biscuits all served in what is basically an antique shop. My wife and I both enjoyed our food, especially the biscuits, the atmosphere and the friendly staff. For the truly brave, or severely hung-over, try the Rebel Cocktail, a drink straight from the trailer park that will open your eyes faster than any cup of coffee.

The two of us spent most of our time walking around Colonial Williamsburg in a vain attempt at seeing everything. During several of our mornings walking along Duke of Gloucester Street we stopped in to the Shields Tavern for an early bite and a hot beverage. Shields represents an 18^th Century Coffeehouse although much of the pastries and other breakfast goodies are pre-wrapped in plastic. While this kind of detracts from the charm, the baked goods, coffee and tea drinks were all delicious and fresh, if not exactly colonial. The period furnishings make Shields Tavern a great place to relax with a scone and a mug of something hot, before the crowds arrive in Williamsburg.

Lunch

Like all areas that cater to tourists, the Historic Triangle can be an expensive place to eat, which is a shame since so many place look good. One way to combat this is going for lunch rather than dinner, especially at the delicious, but pricey Colonial Taverns.

The Kings Arms Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg was a real treat and we ended up making a repeat visit before leaving. It still makes for an expensive lunch but it is not everyday you get to experience 18^th Century charm. Besides the ambiance, we both found the food to be really good, contrary to what I had read online. The peanut soup was delicious and even though my wife is vegetarian, she had to ignore the chicken broth to sneak a taste. The Cook's Grid-ironed Chicken salad, made with fresh grown garden veggies and goat cheese was flavorful and surprisingly filling. My wife liked the Vegetable Pye, especially the rich flaky crust and my Chopped Beefsteak was a thick and juicy hamburger topped with Virginia ham and creamy homemade mayonnaise on a toasted ciabatta. The Tavern beverages did not skimp on the booze and included colonial inspired drinks such as Kir made with wine and crème de cassis, Shrubs made with tropical fruits and my favorite, the Rummer says it all.

The Cheese Shop shares space with the Fat Canary, one of the better known restaurants in Williamsburg's Merchants Square. During the day this gourmet food shop and wine store makes absolutely delicious sandwiches that are certainly no secret. It can get a little crowded as the lunch crowd arrives and the sandwiches are on the small side, but they are the best tasting sandwiches in the area. Outstanding sandwiches, gourmet potato chips, microbrewed beers and sodas plus outdoor seating make The Cheese Shop one of the most popular lunch spots in the area so be prepared to stand in line.

The most memorable meal during our trip had to be Mrs. Campbell's Afternoon Tea held at Christiana Campbell's Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg. While we enjoyed courses of scones, pastries, tarts and finger sandwiches, historical reenactors portraying Mrs. Campbell and her daughter conversed with us about the events of their day and taught us proper tea etiquette. The food was delicious, but two of the three finger sandwiches contained meat and the staff did not accommodate my wife. Other than this, they definitely served enough food and neither one of us left hungry. Mrs. Campbell's conversation was informative, with a sharp wit, which she humorously shared with each table. The final touch was the violinist who entertained us with period favorites, including an old English drinking song better known to us today as the "Star-Spangled Banner".

Snacks

I have never really thought much about peanuts until I tried the goobers they have in this part of Virginia. These huge and unbelievably delicious peanuts can be found everywhere but at the Peanut Shop in Merchants Square you can stock up on dozens of varieties, including their double dipped chocolate covered peanuts.

In Colonial Williamsburg there are a few places where visitors can grab a quick snack. Besides Shields Tavern, there is a bakery behind the Raleigh Tavern and a tent outside Chowning's Tavern that serve delicious peanut pie, pretzel rolls, hot cider and Tavern soft drinks.

Dinner

Dinner options in the Historic Triangle run the spectrum from great to gross, however none were dirty and all had excellent customer service. It was kind of a paradox since the food was terrible in some places yet it was spotless and we had friendly, attentive wait staff, I guess the two of us are more used to the opposite. We found both good and bad in Merchants Square while the ambiance and food of the Colonial Taverns were worth the slightly higher prices. We also came to the conclusion that the restaurants that advertise in the tourist books and offer coupons should probably be avoided.

My wife and I know our Italian food, from both our travels in Italy and our upbringing in Sicilian-American families. That being said we both found the food at Mirabella's not to our liking. The restaurant was spotless, our waiter was extremely professional, the wine list was decent, the food was not. My lasagna, a house special was filling but all that I tasted was fennel which otherwise I enjoy, but this was overpowering . My wife's simple pasta with tomato sauce also was not what we were used to, the meatless red sauce tasted more Mexican than Italian. Perhaps this is what people in the area enjoy but it is completely different from our Sicilian Grandmothers and not even close to what you would find in Italy. However I must admit that the enormous Chocolate Bomba we shared for dessert was excellent.

Before arriving in Colonial Williamsburg, Josiah Chowning's Tavern is what I imagined the Colonial Taverns to be: Mugs of ale, costumed wait staff and performers in an atmosphere reminiscent of a fantasy novel. The two of us had a lot of fun at Chowning's playing colonial dice games and listening to fiddle and lute music, all that was missing was the pipe smoke. We found the atmosphere perfect, but the food was average. My barbecued pulled pork mini sandwiches were pretty good in my Yankee opinion, but I imagine not the best in the area. My wife tried the Welsh Rarebit without the ham and we both agreed that there was a strange flavor to the sauce covered bread that was unappetizing. However their warm Apple Brown Betty and a basketful of local peanuts made up for it in my wife's opinion. Both the Hospitality Punch and the Royal Apple made delicious pre-meal cocktails, and the beer selection included two exclusive tavern microbrews that fans of Sam Adams would find very enjoyable. One thing to remember about Chowning's is the communal seating, the tables that look like they are having the most fun will get the most attention from the entertainers.

Out of all our choices for a special dinner, my wife Danielle decided on Christiana Campbell's Tavern to have celebrate her birthday. With a fire on the lawn, candlelit tables and wandering musicians it set the perfect mood, I only wished it were slightly brighter inside so I could check out all the décor and take some pictures. We shared the Ragout of Forest Mushrooms, served with a polenta-like corn mush that was outstanding. My wife's Garden Pye of leeks, potatoes and lentils was even tastier than her lunch at the Kings Arms and I was persuaded to try the Gloucester Chicken over one of the seafood dishes. It was an excellent decision as the skilled-fried half chicken, served with Virginia ham was expertly cooked and was arguably the best I have ever had, no joke. Our meals came with delicious sweet potato muffins and spoon bread, a custard-like southern favorite that I found a perfect side to the richness of my ham covered fried chicken. My wife loved the Lemon Chess Pie, but I did not make it that far as I succumbed to my enormous entrée. For beverages we both chose the warm Cider Rum Punch, it really hit the spot on that cold and rainy evening. Campbell's is definitely on our repeat list, after all it is considered a seafood restaurant and neither one of us had any.

Fans of decadent desserts may already know of The Trellis. This trendy venue located in Merchants Square is the home of Death by Chocolate, a true masterpiece that has spawned imitations nationwide. However before we attempted to tackle this infamous dessert, my wife and I were treated to a fabulous meal featuring the Trellis' signature blending of local and exotic ingredients on their seasonal menu. Our appetizer of creamy risotto with pine nuts and corn was excellent and just big enough to split. My wife was very pleased to note that the Trellis can accommodate any dietary needs however she could not resists their fresh salad made with watercress, apples and cheese. However she did help me with my entrée of fried Catfish served with a spicy slaw and "screaming peanuts" and fried lemon wedges. Even though we were stuffed, we could not leave without trying their trademark dessert and I must say the original Death by Chocolate is aptly named as we barely survived this encounter with decadence.

We were both very disappointed in Seasons, located in Merchants Square. Once again everything went well except the food, which was expensive for the level of quality. The quaint interior was designed to look like a colonial outdoor setting, our waitress was friendly and funny, the place was packed but once again the food was sub-par. I did not come to the Tidewater area to be served frozen crab cakes, I can order them anywhere. Lump meat or not, you can order these cakes online and my side-dish of vegetables can be found in the frozen food section of the supermarket. My wife's Pasta Primavera was loaded with green bell pepper and feta cheese, neither one belonging in a Primavera. Although artistic license is expected in restaurant menus, it is also expected that these interpretations on classics taste good. While dining at Seasons I was able to sample the locally made wine and after a glass of Williamsburg Winery's Two-Shilling Red, I am very glad we did not waste a day with a winery tour. My homemade Merlot had more character and tasted less like grape juice than this swill. Which goes to show just because you can grow grapes in your area does not mean you should make wine.

Looking back, there were definitely many more great meals than bad during this trip. We attempted to eat at everyplace that looked good and in our price range, but there are just too many restaurants in this small area. Many of the places we ate at, including all of the Colonial Taverns, will be repeated on our next visit and there are plenty of other establishments that the two of us look forward to trying. For our next trip we have also considered visiting the "new town" area of Williamsburg, which according to one resident is where most of the locals eat to avoid the tourist and traffic of Colonial Williamsburg.